For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
The one who calls himself Son of man is God in the flesh, and he is Lord of the Sabbath because he made the worlds, made the Sabbath, gave the institution, and proclaimed the law at Sinai. When his hungry disciples plucked standing wheat, rubbed out the kernels, and ate, he defended them as guiltless and declared that one greater than the temple was present, for their act was in harmony with the Sabbath and with the law permitting the hungry to eat grain in a neighbor's field. His healings and other works of relieving suffering on the Sabbath did not break God's law but were in harmony with the law he had given and with the Father's unceasing providence. In his earthly ministry he upheld the Sabbath's binding claims and kept it according to God's law, setting aside arbitrary human requirements that had distorted its observance and restoring it to its original basis. The Sabbath he is Lord of was instituted at creation for all mankind, it remains the commanded seventh day and was not changed by his resurrection or by human custom to Sunday, and his lordship does not abolish the law.
Christ's Lordship and Authority
The title Son of man declares that the one who speaks is God in the flesh, with the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in him and exercising the prerogatives of God. He is Lord of the Sabbath because he made the worlds and made the Sabbath, gave the institution himself, and proclaimed the law at Sinai. The charge brought against him was therefore aimed at the Maker himself, the Lord of the day he had made.
When the disciples were accused of breaking the Sabbath for plucking standing wheat, rubbing out the kernels, and eating to satisfy hunger when hungry, he defended them as guiltless. He declared that one greater than the temple was present, and that he as Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day, with authority over it. Their action was in harmony with the Sabbath and in accordance with the law of God that permits a hungry person to enter a neighbor's field, orchard, or vineyard and eat grain or fruit to satisfy hunger.
His healings and other works of relieving suffering on the Sabbath did not break God's law but were in harmony with the law he had given. They were in harmony also with the Father's unceasing work of providence, showing his unity with God in will, power, and might and demonstrating that the law can be kept. During his earthly ministry he upheld the Sabbath's binding claims and kept it according to God's law, not according to arbitrary human requirements that had distorted its observance and misrepresented God's character. Thereby he restored it to its original basis and exposed human additions and changes to God's commandment.
No earthly tribunal had authority to try him for his life on a charge of Sabbath-breaking. The rulers had no right to question, catechize, interfere with, or condemn him or his work, and their claims to that authority rested only on pride and arrogance. His words as Lord are unanswerable, and he refused to plead guilty to any wrong. The accusation that he broke the Sabbath was therefore a blind and mistaken condemnation of the very Maker and Lord of the Sabbath, made even though he gave unmistakable evidence that God sent him, showing how blindly his accusers had lost sight of the Sabbath's Lord.
Sabbath Identity and Observance
The Sabbath belongs to Christ as its Lord, and it is not merely a Jewish institution. It was instituted at creation for all mankind before the Jewish people existed. It is as old as the human race and will last as long as humanity does.
It is the commanded seventh-day Sabbath, not a day that can be replaced by Sunday or treated as interchangeable with another day. The seventh day is sacred to him as a day for the worship of angels and people. His resurrection did not change it, and human custom did not change it. There is no valid distinction between a Jewish seventh-day Sabbath and a Christian first-day Sabbath, and his rising on the first day does not authorize replacing the seventh day with the first. His authority over the Sabbath exposes human additions and changes to God's commandment and restores it to its original basis.
His lordship over the Sabbath does not abolish the law. Opposition to God's holy law cannot represent his spirit. The law will not pass away, and keeping his commandments is consistent with abiding in his love.
The Sabbath remains God's memorial and holy day of the Lord. It is a day for worship, teaching, and delight rather than drudgery. He taught his disciples outdoors by the lakeside on the Sabbath, showing that Sabbath teaching need not take place only within enclosed walls. Worshippers honor it and God's house by respect shown in clean, neat, fitting clothing.
Sabbath observance must honor Christ. Zeal for the Sabbath that rejects him is a false zeal.
The one who calls himself Son of man is God in the flesh, and he is Lord of the Sabbath because he made the worlds, made the Sabbath, gave the institution, and proclaimed the law at Sinai. When his hungry disciples plucked standing wheat, rubbed out the kernels, and ate, he defended them as guiltless and declared that one greater than the temple was present, for their act was in harmony with the Sabbath and with the law permitting the hungry to eat grain in a neighbor's field. His healings and other works of relieving suffering on the Sabbath did not break God's law but were in harmony with the law he had given and with the Father's unceasing providence. In his earthly ministry he upheld the Sabbath's binding claims and kept it according to God's law, setting aside arbitrary human requirements that had distorted its observance and restoring it to its original basis. The Sabbath he is Lord of was instituted at creation for all mankind, it remains the commanded seventh day and was not changed by his resurrection or by human custom to Sunday, and his lordship does not abolish the law.
Christ's Lordship and Authority
The title Son of man declares that the one who speaks is God in the flesh, with the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in him and exercising the prerogatives of God. He is Lord of the Sabbath because he made the worlds and made the Sabbath, gave the institution himself, and proclaimed the law at Sinai. The charge brought against him was therefore aimed at the Maker himself, the Lord of the day he had made.
When the disciples were accused of breaking the Sabbath for plucking standing wheat, rubbing out the kernels, and eating to satisfy hunger when hungry, he defended them as guiltless. He declared that one greater than the temple was present, and that he as Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day, with authority over it. Their action was in harmony with the Sabbath and in accordance with the law of God that permits a hungry person to enter a neighbor's field, orchard, or vineyard and eat grain or fruit to satisfy hunger.
His healings and other works of relieving suffering on the Sabbath did not break God's law but were in harmony with the law he had given. They were in harmony also with the Father's unceasing work of providence, showing his unity with God in will, power, and might and demonstrating that the law can be kept. During his earthly ministry he upheld the Sabbath's binding claims and kept it according to God's law, not according to arbitrary human requirements that had distorted its observance and misrepresented God's character. Thereby he restored it to its original basis and exposed human additions and changes to God's commandment.
No earthly tribunal had authority to try him for his life on a charge of Sabbath-breaking. The rulers had no right to question, catechize, interfere with, or condemn him or his work, and their claims to that authority rested only on pride and arrogance. His words as Lord are unanswerable, and he refused to plead guilty to any wrong. The accusation that he broke the Sabbath was therefore a blind and mistaken condemnation of the very Maker and Lord of the Sabbath, made even though he gave unmistakable evidence that God sent him, showing how blindly his accusers had lost sight of the Sabbath's Lord.
Sabbath Identity and Observance
The Sabbath belongs to Christ as its Lord, and it is not merely a Jewish institution. It was instituted at creation for all mankind before the Jewish people existed. It is as old as the human race and will last as long as humanity does.
It is the commanded seventh-day Sabbath, not a day that can be replaced by Sunday or treated as interchangeable with another day. The seventh day is sacred to him as a day for the worship of angels and people. His resurrection did not change it, and human custom did not change it. There is no valid distinction between a Jewish seventh-day Sabbath and a Christian first-day Sabbath, and his rising on the first day does not authorize replacing the seventh day with the first. His authority over the Sabbath exposes human additions and changes to God's commandment and restores it to its original basis.
His lordship over the Sabbath does not abolish the law. Opposition to God's holy law cannot represent his spirit. The law will not pass away, and keeping his commandments is consistent with abiding in his love.
The Sabbath remains God's memorial and holy day of the Lord. It is a day for worship, teaching, and delight rather than drudgery. He taught his disciples outdoors by the lakeside on the Sabbath, showing that Sabbath teaching need not take place only within enclosed walls. Worshippers honor it and God's house by respect shown in clean, neat, fitting clothing.
Sabbath observance must honor Christ. Zeal for the Sabbath that rejects him is a false zeal.